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Valencia Wins 2-1 at Sevilla on Spanish League’s Opening Day

Valencia's Guinean defender #04 Mouctar Diakhaby celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Spanish Liga football match between Sevilla FC and Valencia CF at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville on August 11, 2023. (AFP)
Valencia's Guinean defender #04 Mouctar Diakhaby celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Spanish Liga football match between Sevilla FC and Valencia CF at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville on August 11, 2023. (AFP)
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Valencia Wins 2-1 at Sevilla on Spanish League’s Opening Day

Valencia's Guinean defender #04 Mouctar Diakhaby celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Spanish Liga football match between Sevilla FC and Valencia CF at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville on August 11, 2023. (AFP)
Valencia's Guinean defender #04 Mouctar Diakhaby celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Spanish Liga football match between Sevilla FC and Valencia CF at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville on August 11, 2023. (AFP)

A Valencia team featuring young players earned a 2-1 win at 10-man Sevilla on the opening day of the Spanish league on Friday.

Twenty-year-old substitute Javi Guerra, who emerged as a talent last campaign, scored the 88th-minute winner after Sevilla had lost defender Loic Badé to a red card.

“I am very happy not just for the goal but for the win by the team," Guerra said. “There is no better way to start the season.”

Hugo Duro was key to the win. He was breaking clear when Badé fouled him from behind with only the goalkeeper to beat and saw the direct red card in the 80th. And the striker helped recover the ball near Sevilla’s box before he assisted Guerra to slot home the winner.

Valencia barely avoided relegation last campaign and lost several players in the summer with Samuel Lino, Edinson Cavani, Yunus Musah, Justin Kluivert, Ilaix Moriba, and Nico González all leaving the club. Few signings were made by the club owned by Singaporean businessman Peter Lim, who is repeatedly criticized by Valencia's fans for his lack of investment in the squad.

Valencia coach Rubén Baraja surprised by aligning central defender Mouctar Diakhaby as a box-to-box holding midfielder. The move paid off. Diakhaby was found by André Almeida arriving late to the area to score in the 59th minute.

“It was a position that I think he can play in because he has energy and likes to dispute the ball,” Baraja said about Diakhaby. “He did a great job for us and the goal was a bonus that we did not expect. We deserved this prize.”

Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri equalized for the hosts in the 69th by heading in a cross by Suso.

Valencia also got impressive performance from attacking players Diego López (21) and Fran Pérez (20) to help pull off the upset at Sevilla, last season’s Europa League winner.

Sevilla next faces Manchester City in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday.

No offer for Bounou

Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou started for Sevilla amid speculation in the local media that Real Madrid could be interested in signing him to replace the injured Thibaut Courtois, who will miss several months after tearing a knee ligament on Thursday.

Sevilla president Pepe Castro said that Madrid has not made any moves to sign his club’s goalie.

“Sevilla has not received any offers (for Bounou) from any club,” Castro said.

Rayo wins

Rayo Vallecano forward Randy Nteka scored one goal and helped produce another in a 2-0 win at Almeria.

Rayo took control of the league’s inaugural match thanks to two early penalties in the debut of coach Francisco Rodríguez, who replaced the successful Andoni Iraola after he took over Bournemouth in the Premier League.

Midfielder Isi Palazón, Rayo’s leading scorer last season, converted a 20th-minute penalty after Almeria defender Edgar González fouled Nteka in the area while disputing a ball.

Nteka, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Elche, fired a second spot kick into the corner of the net eight minutes later after Almeria’s Sergio Akieme used his arm to block a cross by Nteka in the area.

Last season, Rayo flirted with a Europa League berth before finishing 11th. This summer it reinforced its squad with the arrival of central defender Aridane Hernández from Osasuna and left back Alfonso Espino from Cádiz.

Madrid opens its season on Saturday at Athletic Bilbao, while Barcelona is at Getafe on Sunday.

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Sports

Arsenal Coach Arteta Always a Leader, Says Former Teammate Gnabry

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal at The City Ground in Nottingham, central England, on October 18, 2026. (AFP)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal at The City Ground in Nottingham, central England, on October 18, 2026. (AFP)
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Arsenal Coach Arteta Always a Leader, Says Former Teammate Gnabry

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal at The City Ground in Nottingham, central England, on October 18, 2026. (AFP)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal at The City Ground in Nottingham, central England, on October 18, 2026. (AFP)

Bayern winger Serge Gnabry is not surprised former teammate Mikel Arteta became a successful coach, saying the Arsenal boss was always a leader in the dressing room.

Gnabry, who started his club career at Arsenal, will go up against Arteta's Gunners at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday in the Champions League.

"He was certainly a leader within our team back then. He was the captain during the season we played together," Gnabry told reporters on Tuesday.

"I remember him helping us out. He shared a lot of advice with us. He was always very approachable and open.

"That just goes to show what a kind person he is. He led the team to great success. It's not that we saw it coming, but he's clearly developed further and has done a fantastic job."

The 31-year-old Germany international admitted it was "strange" to face a team coached by a former teammate, but added: "It's a special match for me -- playing against my former club.

"The club where I spent many years, I grew up there from the age of 16."

Already without the suspended Michael Olise and the injured Jamal Musiala, Bayern come into the match with doubts around coach Vincent Kompany, captain Manuel Neuer and midfielder Joshua Kimmich.

Kompany is suffering from a virus and may not be in the dugout, while Neuer is fighting to return from injury and Kimmich, who would captain the side in Neuer's absence, missed Tuesday's training due to personal reasons.

English assistant coach Aaron Danks took Tuesday's press conference and could step in for Kompany on Wednesday, but said there would be no extra personal motivation for the match.

"I think it's always Bayern Munich's victory. I know Vince would be really strong on this, it's never about anybody's individual achievements, it's always about the collective, about the group," he said.

"When you come to work with a club like Bayern Munich, you know it's much bigger than all of us."

Kompany was on the sidelines for Saturday's 6-1 win over RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga but had difficulty walking and did not take the post-match press conference.

"For me, not too much changes," Danks said.

"I plan the training sessions every day, and I take quite a lead on the grass. Obviously, when Vincent's not with us, we miss him, we miss having him around...

"You have to really get him to rest, but it's a challenge. You know him as a person, he's a real leader, he works hard, so it's important that he rests."

Sports

Infantino Set to Take his FIFA Re-election Campaign to Japan

FILE -FIFA President Gianni Infantino arrives to attend the opening game of the Women's U20 World Cup opening match between Poland and Argentina in Katowice, Poland, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Beata Zawrzel, File)
FILE -FIFA President Gianni Infantino arrives to attend the opening game of the Women's U20 World Cup opening match between Poland and Argentina in Katowice, Poland, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Beata Zawrzel, File)
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Infantino Set to Take his FIFA Re-election Campaign to Japan

FILE -FIFA President Gianni Infantino arrives to attend the opening game of the Women's U20 World Cup opening match between Poland and Argentina in Katowice, Poland, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Beata Zawrzel, File)
FILE -FIFA President Gianni Infantino arrives to attend the opening game of the Women's U20 World Cup opening match between Poland and Argentina in Katowice, Poland, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Beata Zawrzel, File)

Gianni Infantino's campaign for re-election as FIFA president is set to move this week to Japan and a meeting scheduled for Wednesday with the Asian Football Confederation.

This comes after Infantino apologized last week in Zurich, Switzerland, to FIFA's 37-member ruling council — which he chairs — for “mistakes” he made in assembling a now-scrapped $4.2 billion sell-off plan for the World Cup.

The council is the main decision-making body at FIFA with a global spread of officials.
The planned meeting with Asian soccer leaders is to be held in a five-star hotel in Tokyo with the media largely excluded.

Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the president of the AFC, expressed early opposition to Infantino and his plan to create a subsidiary to run the World Cup, but may have moved closer to Infantino, The Athletic has reported.

Infantino has offered to critics an open, independent review of how FIFA makes its decisions.

An Associated Press tally indicates Infantino is close to landing the simple majority of the 211 FIFA member federations he needs to win re-election in March to a fourth term. Some of the deciding votes could some from Asia.

The AFC had joined the criticism of Infantino in the wake of the proposed World Cup sell-off, but its members appear far from united. Qatar, the 2022 World Cup host, has expressed support for the FIFA leader while Jordan has declared its opposition.

The FIFA Council is scheduled to meet next on Dec. 16 in Doha, Qatar.

The Associated Press count shows 87 of the 211 FIFA Member federations have indicated support for Infantino – either in individual comments or by endorsing statements of support by their regional confederations. The largest block of opposition comes from Europe.

No sitting FIFA president has lost an election since 1974. The deadline for a candidate to file against Infantino is Nov. 18.

FIFA rules state candidates must have “played an active role in association football (e.g. as a player or an official within FIFA, a confederation or an association, etc.) for two of the last five years before being proposed.” They must have “declarations of support” from at least five of the 211 members.

Sports

PSG Takes on Barcelona in Champions League Highlight Despite French Protests

Barcelona's German coach Hans-Dieter Flick (C) talks to Barcelona's players during a training session at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on October 19, 2026, on the eve of the UEFA Champions League first round day 3 football match between Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and FC Barcelona. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
Barcelona's German coach Hans-Dieter Flick (C) talks to Barcelona's players during a training session at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on October 19, 2026, on the eve of the UEFA Champions League first round day 3 football match between Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and FC Barcelona. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
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PSG Takes on Barcelona in Champions League Highlight Despite French Protests

Barcelona's German coach Hans-Dieter Flick (C) talks to Barcelona's players during a training session at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on October 19, 2026, on the eve of the UEFA Champions League first round day 3 football match between Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and FC Barcelona. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
Barcelona's German coach Hans-Dieter Flick (C) talks to Barcelona's players during a training session at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on October 19, 2026, on the eve of the UEFA Champions League first round day 3 football match between Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and FC Barcelona. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)

In a test for both teams and the strained French police, Paris Saint-Germain hosts Barcelona in a Champions League showcase against the backdrop of violent unrest across France.

PSG and Barcelona head the standings, though Liverpool or even surprising Stuttgart could end Tuesday on top of the table, The Associated Press reported.

The game, which will need a robust security presence, takes place in a very different context to when PSG beat Manchester City 4-2 away last week.

What began in France as protests against school conditions has expanded to include a wide range of other groups and causes. There have been violent clashes, fires and looting.

An emergency meeting with top government officials on Monday confirmed PSG-Barcelona and other soccer games in European competitions can go ahead after the possibility of calling off games and other big events was discussed.

Liverpool could go top with a win over Villarreal if PSG and Barcelona draw, or on goal difference if Andoni Iraola's team can rout its Spanish opposition. Stuttgart has won both of its games but Atletico Madrid will be sterner opposition for the German team.

Man City aims to get back on track after last week's PSG loss when it faces Greece's AEK Athens, while troubled Napoli seeks a first point against Norway's Bodø/Glimt.

Also, Roma plays Slovan Bratislava, Borussia Dortmund heads to Azerbaijan to face Sabah, Porto hosts PSV Eindhoven and Fenerbahce takes on Slavia Prague.